Moment In The Blaze
by The Only Pancake
Summary: Leo and Alec are cast aside, they turn their backs on the Cullen's forever. But two certain people aren't Cullen's, they're Whitlocks. Can the four of them be happy after so much trouble has been caused within the family because of the boys?
1. Maggie

* * *

_**A/N:** This is the final book in the Leo-trilogy. (Purple Smoke and Black Fire) Every remember to stop and say hi to Lokima, who is the idea guy for the fic, and the creator of Leo._

* * *

Alec had asked me who it was that killed Carlisle.

At first, I was flailing for an answer. All I knew were little snippets of information. Pieces of this and that which made no sense.

I forced myself to try and put the pieces together. To fill in the puzzle just enough so that I could tell what the picture was supposed to be.

I had seen a match, and a blur of brown. Who had had brown on them?

Emmett's shirt was brown. Bella and Esme had brown hair. It had to have been one of those three. I knew instantly that it was not Esme. A mate killing their own mate was like a form of suicide or something. Esme would never do that.

So was it Bella or was it Emmett?

Emmett had exited the house with Rosalie. He had been by Edward the whole time. Edward would have seen if he did it in his mind.

Who was the only person it could have been, then? The one person that could avoid Edward's ever-probing third eye? The one who wouldn't care about Carlisle's death- even if she caused it- therefor avoiding detection by Jasper?

"It was Bella." I answered him in shock. Who would have thought she had it in her? Better question- what the hell made her do it in the first place? She had always seemed too innocent when she was with the family.

That was it, wasn't it? Nobody would ever expect innocent little Bella to be a killer. The bitch planned the perfect crime! I was just her scapegoat!

"We need back up." Alec announced. "We're toast if they catch up to us."

"Back up." I echoed disbelievingly. Where were we going to get that? Who the hell was loyal to us, after everything that's happened this past half of a year?

"Yeah." he responded cheerfully. "I have friends back in Italy. We can go talk to Benjamin again, too. He knows that you're innocent."

I followed him as he began to run and asked, "How does he know that?"

"He will believe you." Alec confidently assured me.

I really did hope so.

* * *

We stopped in our favorite little country of Ireland two days later. I recognized the area we were traveling and asked, "What are we back here for?" Had we not taken care of all the vampires who lived here?

"Friends." He answered simply as we strolled though the town at a slow pace. A human pace, because it was the middle of the day. Even though it was raining, people were outside, because it rained a lot here. Nothing new.

My sensitive ears very soon heard what I assumed we were waiting for. I reported quietly, naturally falling back into follow-the-leader with my more experienced cohort. "There are three coming." Footsteps so defined and light could belong only to a vampire. All three of them had different weights to them- one being quiet and two being rather loud.

Loud for a vampire, that is.

Alec stopped walking and leaned against the wall of a building. I did the same, looking around suspiciously as the three vampires in question entered the scene.

They looked like your typical Irish family, actually. The two adults and the girl, who was possibly _my_ age.

I was instantly drawn to the female of the coven. She was a huge person, very physically intimidating to someone my size. Her body was not as burly as her angry-looking mate, but she certainly walked with an air that belonged totally to her.

I unconsciously shifted closer to Alec. He glanced reassuringly at me. He may trust these people, but I did not.

The trio stopped, and the large woman nodded to the young girl. She bounced over to us, smiling cheerfully. "Siobhan and Liam think it is best to avoid a scene."

That would make sense. Two large adults hulking over three kids would make the town people start to wonder.

Alec nodded. "Yes, that is a good idea. We have a request to make, Maggie."

"What is it?" She asked, looking deeply concerned. I couldn't pinpoint the emotion. It was fear, yes, but for who? For her coven, or for Alec? I'd have to know how close of friends he was with the Irish coven to decide.

Alec explained the story of my frame and our flee, after making a few shifty notes about leaving the Volturi for personal reasons. Soon the tale was complete, and he fell silent.

Maggie glanced at me, her gentle red eyes searching my face. I grew defensive after a while and demanded, "What are you doing?"

She asked critically, "DID you do it?"

"No!" I protested, getting tired of that damn question.

Maggie set a hand on my shoulder and chuckled. "No need to yell, Leo. Stay here." She returned to the other two and began speaking to them.

I glanced at Alec, totally confused by her mood jump. Alec explained, "That is her power. She can feel if we are being honest with her or not. There is no way to avoid it, she will always know the truth."

I nodded, that made sense. Looking bitterly at her and her coven I sighed, "At least _someone_ around here believes me!"

* * *


	2. Back To Volterra

* * *

It wasn't long before the five of us had entered Italy. Our Irish friends opted out of coming to Volterra with us, staying in Florence until we came and retrieved them for the trip to Egypt.

I walked behind Alec as we entered the little city. I didn't need to ask why we were wandering aimlessly around the center of the town. The Volturi would never make a scene in front of the humans. We were safest in a crowded area.

A black robed person approached us, growling too low for human ears to catch as they passed us. I recognized the shadowy face of Santiago glaring down at us.

"Alec, Leo." He greeted unhappily. "This is dangerous. You know that the incident with Jane was... _very_ upsetting."

I shifted where I stood, suddenly feeling very nervous. This time I was not protected by the Volturi code of being non-violent to one another. I was just a vampire now, not one of them.

"Santiago, we need to speak with Marcus. It's actually a very important matter." Alec answered him, sounding very relaxed and uncaring towards the warning of hostility below.

After a second the man sighed, nodding to us. "Go on, then. I have to stay on patrol."

Alec nodded, and began to lead us towards the sewer grate. He slid it aside and we jumped down, landing nimbly on the hard stone below. A half of a second later a heavy wait bowled me over and pinned me onto the ground.

"What are you two _doing_ here?" I recognized the snarl of Felix.

With an angry growl of my own, I broke free of his hold and shoved him away from me. We both sprang into a crouch, glaring at one another. I curled my lip and challenged, "Try that again, Felix, I dare you."

Fire glittered in his eyes, and I was more then positive he was going to humor me and spring. However, Alec got in the way, his back facing me as he glared at the larger vampire.

"Felix, knock it off! We're here peacefully." Alec firmly asserted.

A few tense seconds passed before another member of the guard joined us. It was Renata. She smiled and, ignoring Felix completely, invited us, "I'll take you to Marcus."

Alec nodded and we walked after her, ignoring Felix as he guarded our flanks. I smirked when I saw him glance over his shoulder a few times. _Paranoid much, Felix?_

Renata opened the doors to the great hall and we entered it. Marcus looked at us and tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

We walked over to him, and Alec frowned. "Marcus, we need some help."

I listened impatiently as he told the story for a second time. Most of the guard had gathered to listen to us. The instant Alec stopped talking, Demetri came forward.

"I will help you, Alec." He volunteered.

It was awesome that he would step forward and offer his loyalty to us. Demetri could use his gift to tell us where all of the Cullen's - excluding Bella - were as we got closer. It was like having the upper hand on the position of the enemy!

After an uneasy silence Renata came and joined us. She said nothing, because it was implied that she was also on our side.

"You can't leave!" Felix protested angrily. "You're Volturi, not body guards."

"I'm a body guard." Renata pointed out calmly.

Felix rolled his eyes.

Demetri glared at the outspoken man. "We do not _belong_ to Marcus, we can go wherever we want."

After a short silence Marcus sighed. "Any of you are free to return if you want."

Alec nodded, collecting the rest of us with a sweep of his hand. We stalked after him as he lead us towards the exit of the stronghold.

We had five people on our side. The odds were now even- seven against seven. We could return soon, and make sure that the rest of the family knew about the traitor living among them.

* * *


	3. Reunited

* * *

We arrived in Egypt soon after, having taken a ferry to the Nile and ran the rest of the way we had to. Did you know, even for us, it wasn't entirely easy to run in the sand?

Anyway, Benjamin and Tia found us before we had located them. Benjamin pounced on me, smiling a little bit; though he looked a little wary to see the force we had collected.

"Back so soon, Leo?" He teased lightly.

"Yeah." I answered, though it was a little obvious that we were already back. "We wanted to invite you on a road trip."

Alec snickered, and Benjamin glanced at him before rolling off of me. I sat up, and explained my shorter-then-Alec's version of the happenings.

"Bella killed Carlisle and framed me. I need some support before we can go back and tell them what really happened." See how simple that was? Two sentences, rather then the long winded story Alec had been telling people. He was such a detail whore. Simple was sometimes better.

Benjamin frowned, looking confused. "Bella? The one with the hybrid we were going to fight for a decade ago?"

I nodded. "Same Bella."

"Who would have thought." Benjamin commented idly. "She was such a kind person."

I scoffed harshly. "Yeah, I know."

"She does, too." Alec added from the sidelines. "She's totally playing them. You should have seen her face when the others had come across the fire, she looked just as upset as they did."

Heartless woman.

Benjamin glanced at Tia. As usual, he was waiting to get her opinion on the matter. I finally understood _why_. Even when they had been in a coven with Amun and Kebi, they were team mates. Forget everything else. All that really mattered to someone was their closest counterpart.

I didn't have a mate, of course, but I did have Alec. I wondered to myself, if he would take my advice over someone like Renata's, when he knew her longer and she had more experience then I did.

I reminded myself to ask him about that some other time. Right now, it really wasn't the most important matter at hand.

Tia glanced at the small army we had behind us, before nodding once. "We should help them, Benjamin. Even it it does nothing for them, the others deserve to know."

He scanned the little troop and noted, "Most of you are thirsty. We can hunt tonight, and travel tomorrow morning."

I glanced at the sky and realized it was almost dark out. It was prime time for the regular dieters to go about and collect a meal. Alec asked, "Where are all the camels?"

Benjamin chuckled and shrugged. "I'm out of camels, sorry. But I do know where you two can find some cattle."

I frowned, sighing lightly. "Docile things taste so bland. Aren't there any crocodiles around or anything?"

Tia smirked at us. "You should look at the oasis. It's their egg laying time."

* * *

Alec and I set off on our own after we had all gathered at Benjamin's hidden hut late that night. For a while, we were just silent as we watched our new friends mingling at the bottom of the and dune.

I decided to voice my thoughts to him. "We're leading them into danger."

Were we right to do this? Many of them were not fighters. Emmett could probably take on Demetri and Liam by himself. Rosalie was vicious enough to hold her own against any one of them. Bella negated everyone except for Benjamin. If Jasper fought- and honestly who was getting past _Jasper_- then Alice would fight.

Even Esme could become a killer if her own life was on the line. It was basic instinct- survival.

"They know that." my brother answered me confidently.

"Then why are they helping us?" I asked incredulously. Would I be so quick to fling myself into danger? Probably not.

He sighed, shrugging. "How can I answer that? They all have their own motives. Some are loyal to us. Some are just fighters for the cause in general. Every one of them liked Carlisle."

I lay back in the sand, staring up at the starry night sky. Alec joined me, and I found myself suddenly thinking about the first day we hunted together and watched the clouds roll by.

* * *


	4. Finding Edward

* * *

Demetri insisted that Edward- the mind he was searching for- was just past Russia. I tried to argue that going through Russia would be going the wrong way, but he argued right back and defensively insisted he knew more then I did about tracking.

I had clearly offended him, judging by his black eyes and tense body. Alec got all shifty about it and convinced me we could trust Demetri's instincts.

I think he was just afraid of Demetri attacking me. Honestly, looking at the large and very unhappy vampire, I was sort of scared myself.

So we all silently loaded onto a plane and made way to Alaska. We landed on the ocean side, and Demetri had our location pinpointed. It was not long before we were in Denali.

Alec stopped the forces to plot out next move. He decided, "Maggie and Benjamin, you two come with us."

Demetri had informed us that Edward was separated from the rest of the coven, with two others with him. Esme and somebody named Tanya, apparently.

"Siobhan, you take the rest of us and position yourselves around the house. Stay out of sight, but stop anyone else from leaving the area if you had to." Alec dictated. The five of them headed northeast, and Alec led us south of our current position.

It didn't take long before we had spotted the three in question. We crouched in the foliage silently, just watching them as they hunted a caribou.

"What should we do now, Leo?" Benjamin asked after a while.

I figured that the un-hostile approach was the best way to go. We were not here to hurt anyone, or start a fight over nothing. I just wanted a chance to talk.

I ignored the other three and bounded down the cliff, landing silently at the bottom. "Edward!"

The man stiffened before turning around, a protective snarl bubbling out of him as he stepped in front of Esme and Tanya. His body stiffened and he asked venomously, "What do _you_ want?"

Like shadows, the others joined the little bunch of us. Maggie was behind them, and Alec and Benjamin went on either side. We had just created a square that boxed them in.

"I just want to talk!" I insisted honestly. I took a few steps forward, squaring off with him- but staying a safe five feet away. "You need to hear this, Edward, it's important."

He growled at me again, but his attention suddenly shifted as he glanced behind his shoulder and looked directly at Maggie. She must have been explaining things to him, because he looked very concentrated on her.

Tanya- I assume that was the blonde, because it wasn't Esme- was glaring defensively at me. I realized that she was protecting Edward while his back was turned. Huh, who'd have thought he had friends outside of his family? He didn't seem like the social type to me.

It didn't take long for Edward to return his gaze onto me. Suddenly, his golden eyes looked seriously troubled. "You think_ Bella_ did this?"

Both of the ladies at his flanks gasped in shock.

I nodded. "I think so. I mean, I saw her there. She was there before any of you! Isn't that just a little suspicious, Edward?"

He hesitated for a second, before shaking his head quickly. Loyalty to his mate was blinding him to the obvious truth. "No, she wouldn't hurt him. You're wrong, Leo. He was our father! H-how could she do that to him?"

"I don't know." I answered. I had wondered the exact same thing myself. It's not like Bella was as emotionally connected to Carlisle as he had been. She didn't have two centuries to bond with him, just a little over a decade!

"Edward." Alec called attention onto himself. When Edward looked, he nodded towards Maggie. "We can find out, you know. We can know for sure if you let us get close to her."

After an awkward silence, Tanya mentioned a slight problem we had. "Bella would never give an answer, honest or not, if she is trying to hide it from us."

Benjamin smiled, and Edward frowned at whatever thought went through his head. My Egyptian friend looked thoughtfully at Edward and commented, "I think I know something that would make her tell us _anything._"

* * *


	5. Confrontation

* * *

We regrouped with the rest of the forces so Benjamin could explain his plan. He focused his attention onto Edward and began to plot. "If the others see Leo around, they're likely to become hostile, right?"

Edward nodded, confirming the fear that we'd be attacked if we got too close.

Benjamin smiled, apparently having thought a way around that. "If attacking Leo puts _you_ in immediate danger, they will hold back."

Both Tanya and Esme growled uneasily. Edward's face lit up, though, a little bit. Apparently the idea that Benjamin had was clicking to him.

Edward mused aloud, "As long as he can maintain his control, that really _could _work. Not even Rosalie would take the risk of distracting Leo if it was a complete encasement."

I frowned. "Hey, we don't all read minds! What are you two talking about?" Better question would be, what was I involved in that I didn't know about?

Everyone gave their attention to Benjamin. He elaborated, "We're going to pretend you're holding Edward prisoner. You can swirl a cloud of fire around him to make it seem like you would kill him if Bella refused to talk to us."

Alec caught on, and he grinned. "She would never risk killing her mate, and Maggie can tell us if she was lying or not when she says she is the one who murdered Carlisle!"

Benjamin nodded. "Leo is strong enough to make sure Edward does not get hurt, so it won't be like we're actually putting him in any sort of danger."

I rather liked the sound of this plan. I was pretty flawless, going along with the hope that I wouldn't accidentally kill Edward during the time it took for Bella to talk. Even if I did happen to lose my control, we out numbered the family. We could win if a war broke out.

Edward snorted once, is eyes shining with defiance. "Don't be so sure, Leo. The family has grown since you left us."

I was, of course, suspicious as to what he meant when he said that. He just smiled sadly, shaking his head.

Benjamin glanced at Tanya and Esme. "You two should head back to the house now. You can say Edward lagged behind or something."

Tanya ignored him, glaring angrily at Edward. "This is all needless, Edward. If your mate killed Carlisle we can just get rid of her! Why go through all this trouble? It would be easy, just sneak up behind her and-"

Tanya trailed off when Edward started to snarl. His eyes were black with his fury and he snapped, "Do _not_ plan the assassination of Bella. The only reason we're doing this at all," he shot an defensive glare my and Alec's direction, "is to prove that she is innocent."

Warned off by his hostility, the two ladies left our battle force and headed down the slope towards the house.

Edward, knowing his family better than any of us, tossed out the format for the plan. "Too many of you coming at once will make Jasper uneasy. If he thinks the others should attack, Emmett and Jacob are likely to listen to him."

He grimaced on an after thought. "Tanya's coven would follow her off a cliff side if she asked them to. She as close to Carlisle. If she hears something that upsets her, she will fight."

"Then don't upset her." Renata commented unhelpfully.

Demetri frowned, glancing shiftily at us younger vampires. "When we took care of the situation with Sasha, Tanya was not the problem. It's Kate that will be easily set off."

Liam snorted. "We could take care of them both without much trouble."

"And the werewolf?" Benjamin asked warily. "Is he alone, or is his pack with him again?"

Werewolf? Who the hell was the werewolf?

Edward let his eyes rake across all of us. "He is alone, but he is with Renesmee. If anyone even looks at her too fiercely he will lose his temper."

That name rang a bell. Renesmee was the hybrid I've never met. Jacob was her mate- he must be the wolf.

I shook my head, laughing to myself. How many freaky breeds existed in this world?

Tia tilted her head and pointed out suddenly, "It would be _easiest _to try and gain their trust, rather then scare them or fight them off."

Alec shrugged indifferently. "Then we divide again and put up a weak front. Maggie and I will escort Edward and Leo into the yard. The rest of you hang back until you're needed. You won't be able to hide, so don't even bother. Just try to look non-threatening."

With the plan in motion, the selected four of us bunched together. Alec and Maggie stayed a few safe feet ahead of us. I walked directly beside Edward as we entered the clearing.

He glared at me and demanded, "How do I know I can trust you? If we prove Bella's innocence, you could kill me and launch an attack anyway."

I smiled and stopped walking once Edward did. He was afraid I was lying? Afraid to die the same way Carlisle died?

I just smiled. The instant the others of his family started to trickle around us I engaged the plan. I sparked the grass onto fire, and a hollow ball of fire wrapped around him.

* * *


	6. Moment In The Blaze

_

* * *

**Edward's POV**_

It didn't take long before the others had trickled outside, alerted by our scents and voices. There was a collective gasp when the family caught sight of myself and Leo. It was rather hard to see them, my view obstructed by the semi-transparent wall of fire that encased me. It didn't need to look thought my own eyes, though. I concentrated on Alec, as he had a good viewpoint of everyone.

Alice was the one who protested, quite loudly, "What is going _on_?"

Her thoughts were defensive. There was a reason she was my favorite sister. Everyone else was near incoherent with shock. We all feared fire, for obvious reasons. Seeing Leo and myself so calmly near it was difficult to accept.

"Bella," I called out to my wife, probably sounding a little more desperate then I should have. "They want to hear from you what happened to Carlisle. Tell them that it wasn't you!"

Leo growled at me but I ignored him. Maggie was here, she would confirm Bella's innocence.

Bella growled uneasily, sharing a shifty glance with Rosalie. Impatient, Leo started to to close in the inferno. I felt myself tense instinctively, but I had no reason to panic. He would not kill me.

Bella panicked, though. She darted forward and came to stand as close to the fire as was safe. Her eyes burned with fear for my saftey. "Don't hurt him! I _did_ kill Carlisle."

The shocked thoughts of my family and friends, and the triumphant ones of the others, went almost un-noticed by me. Bella dropped her mental barrier and started thinking for me- and I found that it was impossible for me to rip my attention away from her voice.

_Edward, I'm sorry!_ she promised, her thoughts sounding as sincere as her voice would have. _We thought it was best for the family._

I shook my head, confused. Who was 'we'? Why would she do this? Carlisle! My father for the past two centuries!

"Bella." I whispered sadly, not quite sure if I was angry or just shocked. "H-how could you do this? To me, and to Esme?"

She glanced over her shoulder, looking at our mother. "I never wanted to hurt anyone, Esme. I did this to help us."

Caring very little about Carlisle, Leo asked accusingly, "Why did you blame _me_?"

Bella snapped her head around, glaring fiercely at the boy who stood at my side. She snarled angrily, "Because, you are the reason it had to be done. You're dangerous! You and Alec are bad for the family. I had to protect us!"

Her eyes flickered to mine, and she started thinking about Nessie. She asked mentally, _What is _she_ died, Edward?_

Considering that idea was like a sharp stab to my frozen heart.

Emmett protested, "That's not your job! It's _ours_." He nodded to Jasper, who was mentally agreeing with that statement.

Rosalie laughed once, a scornful laugh. "Yours and Jasper's? What can either of you do against a fire starter, Emmett? He could kill you!"

Rose's thoughts were full of concern and terror at the very idea of her mate being- accidentally or not- destroyed. I could hear some thoughts of remorse for Carlisle's death, and having to scapegoat Leo.

And at that moment, I realized who _'we'_ were. Rosalie had helped Bella in the plot. That must be why they have been spending so much time together recently. Bella was trying to keep Rosalie's thoughts away from me. I never paid much attention to her, I didn't even notice the sudden silence.

Tanya snarled, crouching down aggressively as she locked eyes with Bella. She hissed, "No sort of reasoning can justify this!" Tanya's thoughts were laced with malice and revenge.

She was a fighter, and Bella was not. I panicked and demanded, "Jacob!"

Nessie's mate, Bella's best friend and ex-love interest, phased the instant Tanya pounced. His massive body meant superior weight and strength. He pinned Tanya down, baring his teeth to her in a challenge. He _only_ liked our family. He would have no problem with killing Tanya if it meant protecting Bella.

Kate was set off by her sister being attacked. She coiled to spring at Jacob. A half of a second later Jasper materialized in between them, blocking her path defensively.

She leapt at him, ready to fight. Kate was the protector of her coven, she would not be willing to sit back and watch them be threatened by our wolf.

Alice reflexively got in the way. Kate ended up shocking her, sending little Alice tumbling several feet backwards.

"No!" Leo shouted furiously.

Doing so made his concentration slip, and the ball of fire which was bent around me like a skeleton began to implode. In one short moment, I would be enveloped in the blaze.

* * *


	7. Family Split

_**

* * *

Leo's POV**_

Listening to Bella talk about Carlisle, listening to her _claim_ that this was all for the good of her family, made my angry. I demanded, "Why did you blame me?"

That was honestly all that I came back to find out. Bella's fierce golden eyes locked with mine and she snarled hatefully, "Because, you are the reason it had to be done. You're dangerous! You and Alec are bad for the family. I had to protect us!"

Emmett was on my side, I think. "That's not your job! It's ours." He indicated to Jasper, who made no move to even nod, but his fearsome eyes seemed to be all the agreeal anyone needed.

Rosalie seemed to disagree. "Yours and Jasper's? What can either of you do against a fire starter, Emmett? He could kill you!"

I was _loving_ the amount of faith they had in me. Really, it was just _so_ touching.

"No sort of of reasoning can justify this!" Tanya snarled, crouching down into the perfect position to spring. I was secretly hoping they would fight.

Edward shouted for Jacob to intervene. I nearly lost my focus from shock when I watched, for the very first time ever, a werewolf actually transforming into a werewolf. He just like exploded into this massive larger-than-a-bear creature.

He flattened the vampire into the ground, and they growled at one another. Excitement stirred in my frozen veins. How epic would a fight between the two of them be?

Another blondie coiled herself down, ready to tag team Jacob. I didn't know who she was, but she looked pretty bad ass, with her confident posture and her fierce black eyes.

Jasper, to my surprise, got in between them. I sure and hell would have backed off, but apparently Kate was not aware of his fighting skills. She pounced at him anyway.

To my eyes at least, time slowed down the second Alice involved herself into the picture. Barely larger then me or Alec, when she collided with Kate something sent her small frame flying three meters away. She squeaked a little bit when she landed.

"No!" I bellowed, feeling pure fury coarse through my body. How _dare_ somebody hurt her!

My attention was too badly divided for too long. Bella gasped, "Edward!" I forgot that he had been inside of an actual death trap.

I was not a killer, despite sudden popular belief. I totally forgot about Alice for a moment and tried to concentrate solely on rescuing the man I promised I would keep safe. I didn't have time to mentally grab onto the fire and safely dwindle it down.

I had to reverse the spin of the flame, and explode it outward in a mushroom cloud of deadly heat. Both Bella and myself- standing closest to the flames- were nearly singed by them. The sudden flare had yanked all attention onto us.

Tanya was able to wiggle away from Jacob and scramble over to the other male and female from her coven. Jasper dropped Kate, whose jacket he had grabbed, and fell back to kneel defensively beside Alice. His eyes darted from side to side, almost daring _anyone _to get too close to her.

A fight had been avoided. I suppose that should have made me happy.

Edward and Bella darted over to one another. Edward wrapped his arms around her and their eyes met. I was almost positive they were having some sort of silent conversation. She _could_ let him into her head just as easily as she could keep him out of it.

After a very long few seconds, Jasper asked tensely, "What are we doing about this, Edward? Treachery from within our own family is not acceptable."

The steely sort of iciness in his voice was frightening. His years in the wars down south must have really conditioned him into putting loyalty higher on his priority list than family bonds. I, personally, thought that was a little sad for him, to have to think that way.

Upon this one instance, however, I had to totally agree.

Edward's voice was harsh, and he tightened his grip on his mate. "We do nothing, Jasper."

"Edward! She _killed_ Carlisle!" Alice protested, sounded more torn than angry. She was such a kind person, even though she had known Bella for a shorter time than Carlisle she very obviously still loved her sister.

"That isn't important." Rosalie defended Bella, which was another surprise to me. "Bella is right, Alice, it had to be done."

Jasper growled in Rosalie's direction. He must not have been thinking anything too great, because Edward snarled and demanded, "Jasper, what's done is done. There has been enough death within the family. Nobody is going to hurt Bella over this. Bella is your sister, Jasper."

As if to support his statement, Jacob padded over to the two vampires, pinning his ears back as he stood in front of them. He and Jasper glared at one another in hostility.

Grabbing Alice's hand, Jasper pulled her to his feet. He wrapped his arm around her, leading her over to stand between myself and Alec. Alice looked surprised, but not reluctant.

Jasper, my _dad_, glared at Edward. His voice was blistering when he spoke, "That murderer is no sister of _mine_, Edward."

He glanced at me and Alec, and then took Alice and began to run. Startled, we followed them silently into the forest. I heard our friends running after us. I did not take one last look at the people I used to consider my family.

I had a mother and a father. I had a big brother.

It was all the family I needed.

* * *


	8. Letter

* * *

A few weeks later, the new coven was settled into the heart of the Amazon jungle. We had two huts built, too. One for Benjamin and Tia- who had decided to hang around for at least a while, and then one for the rest of us.

Jasper kicked me and Alec out of the house for a few hours to (cough) "explore the jungle." _Shutter_.

So we were sitting in a tree trying to decide what to go and hunt for fun.

"I'm partial to jaguars." I tossed out into the air.

Alec crossed him arms and sighed. "Cats are so easy. Why not an anaconda? We can see if we can actually feel it squeezing us."

As fun as that sounded, I found myself focusing on something entirely different. A shaggy brown wolf who was larger than a bear. I nudged Alec and nodded towards Jacob as he approached us. What the hell would he be doing here?

We sprang out of the tree to greet him. I was ready to be hostile if he was. Rather than aggression, he just stood in front of us and lifted his leg. Quite carefully, he pulled a letter which was tied to him off, and waited for one of us to take it.

It had one word written on it: _Whitlocks_.

Alec took it from him, and the werewolf turned and left the way he came without another second spent on us. That didn't really matter. We didn't know him, why would be waste time on one another?

I mused aloud, "So if we think about returning home, think... mom will see us?" Was calling Alice 'mom' ever going to stop feeling so weird? I had a mother in Colorado. It was probably natural that I needed some time to let myself have a second one.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" he answered as he started heading the other direction.

I snorted. "I hope so." There were things in life that a kid just didn't need to see. Or hear. Or think about, in general.

It wasn't long before we had arrived back at the fort. Luckily, they were waiting for us. We drew nearer, and Jasper grumbled, "This had better be important."

Alice smiled softly at him and he sighed patiently. Alec handed the letter to Alice and plopped onto the ground in front of her. I, too, sat down and waited for her to read the letter.

The scent that lay under the sharp werewolf scent was Bella's. This would be good.

_Alec, Alice, Jasper, and Leo_

_If you're reading this letter, I would just like to mention that I am glad. It means you were curious or hopeful enough that you'd find something worth reading and didn't rip it apart. After lengthy conversation, the family decided it was only right that the motives behind the predicament be explained in detail._

_I really didn't have anything against Carlisle. Alice, I know you were upset over losing him. He was the only father you ever had. I am sorry that I had to cause you so much pain, but it was a necessary evil. Carlisle was sacrificed for the better of the family. Don't you think that's how he would want to have gone- if it meant the family's safety?_

_He would have never turned Leo away. He freely brought a threat into the heart of the coven. He was unwilling to send Leo and Alec away, despite the danger that is attached to them. I have nothing against the boys, of course, but I could not sit by and watch them bring such threat to the family. Rosalie worried, too. She worried about Emmett and Nessie. She worried about all of us, because she was not blinded by affection for them._

_Jasper had the right idea when you first took him in. Too dangerous. We needed someone else to lead us. Someone who would do what he had to if it would preserve the family. Edward is not afraid of what Carlisle shied away from. Edward will do what is required of him like a strong leader should._

_None of us are happy that you left, but of course we can understand why you did it. Esme is still with Tanya in Denali, and she wants you all to visit her sometime. Jacob might not remember your scents for much longer, so we won't be able to keep in touch. Edward wants you to know that our next home will be in Ontario. Nessie said she'll try to find you for a visit next time she goes down to see Zafrina._

_Alice and Jasper, I still love you guys. Leo and Alec, I wish that there had been another way for this to happen._

_Sincerely, Bella_

Jasper snorted the second Alice finished reading. We all looked at him curiously. He shook his head sadly, "I don't need to be near her to know this is all a lie. She won't let herself realize it, but she's always been self-motivated."

Alec pointed out, "Putting someone _else_ in charge doesn't seem very ambitious of her."

"Edward was alone for a very long time." Alice reminded us. "Bella came into his life, and nothing else was really important to him."

Alec and I shared a confused glance. We had both known that, of course. Just watching them together was proof enough of his devotion to her!

Jasper explained in very simple terms. "If Bella told Edward to jump, he'd try to reach the moon."

At the same time, Alec and I said, "Ohhh."

Jasper smirked and turned away from us, and the look on Alice's face was enough to tell the us it was time to give the 'parents' some alone time.

So without a second thought, we bounced up from the ground and took off to go do some well deserved bonding and relaxing.

* * *


	9. Training Montage

* * *

The four of us were sitting in the main room of the hut. Because we didn't need to maintain the human facade here, we only had three rooms. The living room, Alice and Jasper's room, and my and Alec's room. The living room had some furniture and books for us to occupy ourselves with.

Jasper said he was going to visit Texas sometime to pick up school books for us. I was not too keen on that idea, but what could I do? I suppose it would be a good thing to learn further than a fifth grade level.

Alec and I were arguing about a frog we had brought home, unable to decide it if was a poisonous breed or not. Alice asked quite randomly, "Leo, do you know how to fight without using your fire?"

I blinked in surprise and answered, "Uh, nobody ever taught me." I turned my head, glaring accusingly at Alec.

He just smiled at me. "I was there to play babysitter for you and Jane, not be a teacher."

I rolled my eyes, and he smirked. Jasper peeked at us from over his book and asked, "What makes you wonder, Alice?"

The two of them shared a meaningful look. After a second she returned her attention to us. "I was just wondering. You two are fighting about a frog, can I assume you're bored?"

We both nodded. The books that we collected before we got here were all college level or something. Until we supplied the hut with things we could do we'd be bound to be bored.

"Want to do some battle training with us?" She asked cheerfully.

Battle training. All of us? For fun?

Awesome.

* * *

We found a glade in the jungle that had enough room for us to move around in and not tear trees out of the ground. Jasper was perched on the root of big tree, watching silently.

Alice instructed both of us, "Try to catch me."

I frowned, remembering with more detail than I would have liked, how easily that blondie in Alaska had been able to hurt her. I crossed my arms and stubbornly protested, "You're too small!"

"I'm bigger than you two." She pointed out, raising her eyebrows in challenge. I huffed, because that was true and I couldn't argue with her logic.

Jasper promised, "She can take care of herself, boys. Don't worry."

That was apparently all the reassurance Alec needed. He crouched and sprang forward, leaping at Alice. She disappeared, and Alec clattered into the mossy ground. I yelped when I was shoved forward suddenly. I narrowly managed to regain my balance and not fall.

Glaring over my shoulder, I saw Alice standing there. She smiled and waved at me. Jasper snickered, and Alec came to stand beside me.

Well, this was going to be fun.

* * *

It took us two days before we figured out that Alice was not actually faster then I was. She was using her future-sight to avoid our attacks before we even realized we were going to make them.

I had a plan now. Alec was in on it, too. We had been given a chance to plot before we started training today.

Alec flung himself at Alice's right side. At the exact same moment, I jumped to the left. Alice- in her attempt to avoid Alec- was forced to go to the left. We collided with a thunderous crack, and she grunted as I pinned her to the forest floor.

I smiled, setting my elbows on her shoulders and leaning over her. "I got you, mom."

She smiled, too, and kissed my cheek. Grimacing playfully I protested, "Aww, come on!"

She giggled and nudged me off of her. I rolled aside and crossed my legs, waiting to see what would happen next now that we had accomplished mission Capture Alice.

Alec was watching some tropical bird go by, and I felt myself spark with mischief. I silently inched closer to him, and with a fearsome snarl I pounced on him back and sent us rolling a few feet away.

With an irritated growl, Alec managed to shove me away. He glowered at me. "Leo, what the hell?"

I smirked. "What, do you forget how we first met? It's just a little bit of pay back."

Realization dawned on Alec, and he smiled too. "I recall that I bit you."

I glanced down at my forearm, which still had the scar from him, and frowned a little bitterly. Alec looked smug and taunted, "I bet you still won't be able to catch me and return the favor."

I accepted his challenge, lurching at him. Like usual, he avoided me and I ended up cracking a tree.

* * *

I had two almost-successful attempts to bite Alec, but he kept wiggling away from me. It was not long before I had him in my grasps. Before I could even decide if I _would_ have bitten him, Jasper interrupted.

"Leo, let him go." He ordered rather sharply. It took me off guard. I stumbled away from Alec before I really had time to process why.

Alec instantly defended me, "He wasn't doing anything, Jasper. I can stop the venom from hurting me if I want to. I've done it before."

Jasper smiled ruefully, staring down at his badly scarred arms. He shook his head a little bit and sighed. "It doesn't matter it if wouldn't hurt. You don't want to be damaged like this, boys."

Alice gently patted Jasper's shoulder, looking as forlorn as he did. I glanced at Alec, silently wondering if we should try to cheer him up. Alec seemed to knew exactly what I was thinking, because he bounced over to the tree root.

"Will _you_ show us how to fight well enough to avoid getting bitten, Jasper?" He asked hopefully. The innocent curiosity in his voice was infection, and it made Jasper smile.

He looked up at us and his eyes twinkled. "You two are going to have to do a lot better than you did with Alice if you want to win again _me_."

I was sure that neither of us doubted that.

* * *


	10. Family

* * *

Later that night we had ended the sparring. Alice was in the hut, while Jasper took us boys out to hunt. He was very excited about us living in the Amazon. We would probably never encounter a human in our current location, so it gave us time to adjust completely to the all animal diet. Alec was still in low spirits about it, but Jasper assured him it would get easier as time passed.

I was trying to sift through the overwhelming amount of scents that a jungle held. It would most definitely going to take some time getting used to them all. There were so many!

A familiar scent made me stiffen. I stopped and broke some fronds off of some big plant that I was standing beside. I gave it an intent sniff, and felt myself start to prickle with hostility. We were not alone.

I glanced back at Jasper and Alec. They were talking to one another in depth about something, and not watching where they were going. The ground a few meters ahead of their position was too wet compared to the rest of the ground. Richer soil meant it had been recently upturned.

I glanced up instinctively, having learned at least that much from the old Vietnam movies I used to watch. _Five_ dark-skinned vampires were leering down at my brother and father.

I gasped, "Watch out, it's a trap!"

Too late warned, Jasper's heavy weight stepped down onto the soil and a fraction of a second later he and Alec were swallowed by the earth. Three of the five vampires sprang down into the the ditch, and several snarls floated up.

The remaining two vampires sprang down on either side of me. I couldn't risk using any fire here. Over one half of the worlds remaining rain forest was at danger if I did. The smaller male pounced for me. I jumped up, my newborn strength allowing me to land in the branch of a tree and out of harms way. The vampire that had leapt for me landed on his buddy, and they both rolled the other direction.

_Idiots._

Jasper and Alec scrambled out of the pit a second later, followed only by two vampires. I assumed that was a good thing. They could fend for themselves.

I kamikazied out of the tree and landed one of the attackers, biting him in the back of the neck like Jasper had done to Amun. I didn't get a chance to kill him, because his friend knocked into me and sent me rolling to the side. They were both about to spring at me when Alice jumped into the picture- quiet literally, too.

She landed on top of the larger of the attacking males, and he was slammed down so hard the ground cracked beneath him.

I had to trust she could handle herself, because I was rather distracted by the guy trying to rip my arm off. He had managed to slam me to the ground and had my arm hostage in an iron grip.

I growled and wrapped my legs around his neck, flipping us over so he was on his back and I was sitting on his chest. Before he had the chance to escape me, I bit his neck, and ripped his head off. Mildly creeped out, I tossed it aside so I didn't have to look at it.

I turned on the vampire tangling with Alice, and quickly converged on the two of them. But it was quite clear that interference wasn't needed, because I witnessed my mom rip the vampires head clean off with her teeth, and toss it aside.

Next my attention was drawn to my brother and father, who still had not finished off the vampires that had ambushed them. I said aloud, "Mom, we need to help them!"

Jasper locked into a fierce battle with a female vampire. They were knocking trees down and tearing plants up. Alec was narrowly managing to keep out of the grasps of some guy who was bigger even than Felix was.

I jumped on the massive enemy, but he over-powered me and tossed me on top of Alec. We landed in a semi-tangled heap on the ground. Alice sprang in front of us, coiling herself down like a lioness protecting her cubs. Such a fearsome snarl bubbled out of her throat that her entire body quivered.

A few yards away from us, Jasper was thrown back into the glade. He skidded on the loose dirt, almost tumbling right into the hole again. The female he was fighting with stepped into sight.

She, like he, had an air that screamed danger. Her arms and neck were just as scarred as his, and no one would want to be fighting her!

Alice gasped, probably as used to seeing her mate kick ass as we were. She would never be able to get to him in time to help him, though. She had a Collosus blocking her way.

The female lurched herself forward. She was just about to land on top of Jasper when a howling wind blew past us. I watched in fascination as the woman was suspended mid-air and twirled around by the tornado which was building around her.

A few seconds later she was violently flung above the canopy of the trees. Who even _knows_ how far she was tossed!

Benjamin finally sprang into view, landing beside Jasper and helping him to his feet. My friend snarled and the land we stood upon started to shake. The large male that remained panicked and fled the other direction.

The second he was gone, the forest became still. We were all staring at Benjamin with wide eyes. He smiled calmly, saying nothing.

Damn, he was _awesome_!

Alice ran over to Jasper, and they embraced one another. He smiled at her and assured quietly, "I would have been fine."

She scoffed nervously, setting her head against his chest. He glanced at us and Benjamin. "Would you boys collect the parts? We came take them somewhere they can be safely burned."

Benjamin kicked a stray arm into the trap pit and smiled. "Thy can be burned right here. I can make sure the fire stays inside of the hole."

It only took a few seconds to locate the remains of the three vampires, and throw them all into the hole. Benjamin sparked them and built the earth up around the top of the pit on either side, making sure it was a good four feet taller than the tip of the blaze.

One great thing about the thick forest around us is that it stopped the un-natural colored smoke from going above the canopy. Instead, the thick, oily clouds billowed around us like a fog.

Alice retreated away from the purple smog and called, "Come on boys, he can take care of this alone."

Alec and I scampered after her and Jasper as we left to return home, but one thing still bothered me.

"Mom?" I asked tentatively.

"What, honey?" Alice replied in a maddeningly motherly tone that made me flinch. I still needed to get used to that!

"Why do you think they attacked us? I know not all vampires are good, but why bother wasting your time and lives?" Leo asked

Alec chuckled feebly, and Jasper scoffed at me. I was almost ready to pounce Alec and Jasper out of frustration, but Alice responded softly, "You've still got a lot to learn Leo."

I smiled at that answer, because I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather learn it from than my new family.

* * *

_That's the end! xD_

* * *


End file.
